JUPITER, Fla. — This spring I saw potential National League rookie of the year Dylan Carlson look to bunt against a severe defensive shift, pull back his bat after making the infielders think, then blast a home run on the very next pitch. Those are two pretty good ways to beat a defense overloaded to one side.
I saw second baseman Tommy Edman knock two singles straight up the wide-open middle lane infielders had abandoned by overpopulating Edman's pull side. Edman said after the game that he understood why the shift was there. When he’s not locked in, he can become a victim to it.